Islamabad: Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari on Friday telephoned the father of Malala Yousafzai and strongly condemned the barbaric act of the militants.

Zardari expressed grief and shock over the incident during his telephonic conversation with Zia-ud-Din Yousafzai, Geo News reported. The president said that through such acts, militants have shown their real face to the world.

He said the militants would never succeed in shaking the resolve of the people and the government through these acts, and that this incident has further rejuvenated people's spirits to face the menace of militancy head-on.

The president prayed for the early recovery of Malala and said that prayers of the whole nation were with her. He said Malala symbolized the quest for education by girls from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and that she was a symbol of courage of Pakistani women to challenge and stand against barbarity and oppression.

Zardari said doctors of the Pakistan Armed Forces were providing the best medical treatment to the injured girl, and the government will put into service all possible means for her early recovery. The president also expressed his sympathy for the friends of Malala who were injured in the attack.